Hilo Man Being Honored for Contribution to HIV/AIDS Prevention & Treatment in Hawaii

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) STD/AIDS Prevention Branch is pleased to announce that the 9th Annual Suzanne Richmond-Crum Award will be presented to Lenard Allen of Hilo, Hawai‘i.

The award will be presented at the World AIDS Day event on O‘ahu to be held from 11 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Church of the Crossroads (1212 University Ave.). Allen is being honored for his tremendous contributions to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment services in Hawai‘i.

“Mr. Allen has consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty to develop and implement activities to support the HIV community in Hawai‘i,” said Health Director Loretta Fuddy. “His unwavering commitment to give of himself to individuals and organizations in need makes him a most deserving recipient of the 9th Annual Suzanne Richmond-Crum Award.”

Monica Adams M.A., M.B.A., Director of Development for the Bay Clinic Family Health Centers said of Lenard Allen: “His work has profoundly changed the environment for HIV/AIDS care, perceptions, and services in East Hawai‘i. There are some people in this world who do tremendous things, who work tirelessly for a cause, and who do it without recognition and fame. Lenard is one of these people.”

For 20 years, Allen has been actively involved in HIV client services, care, prevention, community education, advocacy, and fundraising. Allen has worked in HIV/AIDS services at the Big Island AIDS Project, Hawai‘i Island HIV/AIDS Foundation, and Bay Clinic, Inc. His considerable efforts have focused on all persons living with HIV and those at risk for acquiring HIV. Allen also founded OUTSPOKEN, which served as a community fundraiser to fill in service gaps for people living with HIV. He developed a free counseling program and phone support for individuals living with HIV. He worked with the Big Island Aloha Patrol for four years as a liaison and advocate between business owners, community, and the County of Hawai‘i Judiciary to provide referrals to services, testing, healthcare and education.

Suzanne Richmond-Crum passed away in August 2004 after serving as director of the Hawai‘i Seropositivity and Medical Management Program (HSPAMM) of the DOH STD/AIDS Prevention Branch for more than 10 years. The award was established in honor of the competence and compassion she demonstrated in her HIV/AIDS work, and is presented annually to an individual in Hawai‘i for their outstanding contribution in providing HIV/AIDS services.

The public is invited to attend the award presentation at the 2012 World AIDS Day program on Saturday, Dec.1, at the Church of the Crossroads, as well as many other activities occurring statewide. For more information on all statewide World AIDS Day events, go to: http://www.worldaidsdayhawaii.org

USAID Supports New Fund to Advance Food Safety

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) today pledged $250,000 to help launch a landmark partnership designed to improve the safety of global food supplies. Based on  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) food safety capacity building initiatives, the Global Food Safety Partnership  is an innovative public-private partnership focused on improving systems and regulations that lead to better health outcomes, reduced risk of food-borne hazards, expanded participation of farmers and producers into higher value and global food supply chains, and improved food security. With the USAID contribution, the initiative has secured enough pledges to establish a fund to support country-led efforts to produce safe, nutritious foods. The fund, which will be administered by the World Bank, is the first of its kind focused on food safety.

Announced during the APEC meetings in Honolulu, the Global Food Safety Partnership will initially pilot and develop training programs, address high-priority food hazards, and strengthen laboratory capacity in APEC so that it can later be customized, expanded and delivered to Africa and other areas.

The objectives of the partnership are aligned with Feed the Future, the U.S. global hunger and food security initiative. Feed the Future places an emphasis on smallholder farmers, particularly women, to support countries in developing their agriculture sectors as a catalyst to generate broad-based economic growth and reduce hunger and undernutrition. With Feed the Future support, the World Bank-administered Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) has proven successful in supporting country-led approaches to food security and is leveraging significant investments from multilateral institutions toward improved global food security.

USAID’s pledge today for the Global Food Safety Partnership will complement investments in GASFP to further advance global food safety and security efforts. The pledge was announced by Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator of USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.

“The Global Food Safety Partnership is designed to transform food safety, prevent food-borne illness and engage local farmers and producers in innovative safety practices,” Lindborg said. “By coordinating and collaborating, we can ensure access to safe, nutrient-dense foods, particularly for women and young children, in the very communities we seek to empower. This objective is at the core of Feed the Future, the U.S. government’s global hunger and food security initiative.”

Through Feed the Future, the U.S. works with partners to develop new means for reducing agricultural and food safety threats, such as contamination of the food supply. With a focus on building partnerships to leverage substantial private-sector resources, Feed the Future also advances sustainable growth in emerging markets to address the global food security challenge. These efforts promote the expansion of regulatory cooperation and effectiveness, which are high priorities for APEC, and align with the goals of the Global Food Safety Partnership. USAID’s commitment announced today, in combination with those of private and public sector partners, will help enable the Global Food Safety Partnership to serve as the premier focal point to maximize the impact of industry and government partners to support food safety for years to come.

Feed the Future, is the U.S. global hunger and food security initiative geared toward addressing the root causes of poverty and undernutrition. For more information, please visit www.feedthefuture.gov.